canterbury village

We visited to see how the Always Christmas shoppes have changed and also how they are the same. I believe they are still trying to figure this one out as it needs some tweaking and additional shoppes for a year round experience. They added Yates Cider Mill to the shop mix which is good for the fall season. Hopefully there will be more attractions in the winder, spring and summer. Will have to revisit then

My sister and I have been here many times in the past. I was so excited that my husband would see it for the first time. Imagine how I felt when we saw what they did to Always Christmas. I bragged how it rivaled the Christmas store in Frankenmuth. Low and behold, I was fooled. I'll drive the extra 60 miles to Frankenmuth.

After my friend told me today about this place that was christmas themed I had to go since I am a big fan of Frankenmuth. For me it was a simple route : take I-75 north to the joslyn road exit and follow north on it for approx 4 miles. Now the ride in was beautiful with a lake running on the west side of the road. My GPS homed on where I had to turn off but had it not been for my GPS I wouldn't know where to turn since I saw no signs on joslyn road. My GPS said to turn onto joslyn court which is I assume a side route since this path led me to a parking lot and I had to go all around this eastern parking lot to go west and eventually park in the village.Upon entering the village, the decorations were nice, and the grounds were clean. Over all, the village is small but offers a lot of Christmas ornament's, clothing and other things themed. Sadly, their are some buildings that are no longer open and from what I've read and was told by my friend, their used to be a coffee shop and other store's. Yates cider Mills 2nd store has opened here and just like the original Yates cider mill in Rochester hills, the inviting smell of warm donuts and cider meets you at the door. I couldn't pass the cider and the fresh donuts. This Yates also offers ice cream and coffee at another pos spot and my friend and I decided to try the coffee as well. My friend tried a frozen Irish toffee coffee and I choose the hot mocha coffee. Our cashier was a bit scatter brained and had trouble putting the info in the register and once the sale was completed, never told us where to pick up our coffee or what end to stand and wait. My friends Irish toffee was horrible. Tasted very chemically and had little flavor other then that of a plastic bag. My mocha was slightly better but as we both agreed, was boiled water with a slight hint of chocolate flavor. Sad.. Sad. So if you want to visit a unique tucked away village that has interesting little shops , special events and other various things then be sure to stop on by. Be sure to visit the carousel building and the 5 solid colored buildings that are all separately themed inside on the far end of the village. PS: just a heads up ladies to bring paper napkins with you to the ladies room just in case. From what my lady friend said today their wasn't any toilet paper in the public ladies restroom..

I've always heard of this place, but never been. We went out today as a little day trip on a Friday afternoon. Area is self contained and has a lot of Christmas themed stores, with a few, (four?) smaller stores in the back, with a variety of different items. There is a carousel for smaller children, under 75 lbs. We wanted to see it in motion, but there were no children there to ride it! Yates Cider Mill on site also. Nice place to get a hot coffee, cider, fudge, pastry to sit and snack on. Place is kind of older, but still in decent shape

We've gone here for years to shop and take pictures of the kids in the holiday settings. It was my wife's annual birthday lunch trip with here sisters. The big ornament store has been sold and is now gone. The fabric shop is now an ornament store. The restaurant isn't all that great. There used to be a little bar restaurant that served beer, but it's closed. There used to be a coffee shop but it's gone now too. The pet store is gone too. Yates cider mill has moved in, and that's nice. There are some cute little shops, but without the big store, it's just not all that much. They have a nice Department 56 shop. The village is not worth a long trip but if you are close and want to do a little ornament shopping it might be worth an hour or two.

This place has become less and less of it's former self over the years. It is out of the way and definitely not worth the effort to go to. There is basically nothing there but a restaurant or maybe two. Possibly an event location.

Always a fun, intimate place to meet friends. Pizza and beer is what we had. The pizza was hot and delicious!

Had a rehearsal dinner there and the food was very good. Also had a Sunday brunch and again the food was served hot, in trays, the servers kept the food coming and everyone enjoyed themselves. The vegetables were served hot but not overcooked. The chicken was breaded but not greasy and moist. The beef tenderloin tips were tender and flavorful. A very nice meal.I will use their venue for future functions. The prices were reasonable for the value.Ask for Crystal. You can email her before and after the event. She always responded and was helpful.

This place is on its way out.Buildings not well mark.Grounds all most unkempt. Owners are not investing into property....Whats sad this is a neat place....But has nothing....Keep eye on events there....But I am sure any event will be over priced...

In appearance, that is. This place is cute but really needs some work.There are many empty "shops". The window displays are so old and worn that they are deteriorating/green-palored/very creepy. The food used to be a lot better than it is now. Like A LOT better. Some shops seem thrown together and incredibly random in their selections The ambiance of the village, itself, is cute/quaint. I only wish that the people that own it would come up with a more cohesive plan for it.

I wish more of the shops would have been open. the Christmas shop an the fairy shop were the only ones open. I was there until 11:25 a.m. waiting for the shops to open. Very disappointed.

I will comment in a totally different manner. I attended two weddings at Canterbury. One in the winter and the other in July. The chapel was beautifully decorated with a permanent stained glass backdrop. The bride and groom looked fantastic in erson and in their pictures. After the ceremony the carrousel was availabe for pictures. It was a romantic setting and the guests enjoyed walking the grounds until the reception. The banquet room was elegant and roomy. I truly was impressed. The food was very good and the service was attentive to detail. The facilities and grounds were well kept. Although I didn't visit the shops, we did stop into the pub to enjoy a drink and a small plate. A great experience. And yes.... The Christmas store was filled with beautiful and classy items. I will return.

I don't plan to return. This place reminded me of a cross between a Carnival and the Renaissance Festival, gone wild. Some of the shops were just jammed with "stuff" while others not so much.

Canterbury Village is a favorite place to visit on the weekends for my family. The castle is gorgeous, the pub's food is excellent (I recommend the Dragon Chicken Sandwich), and the shops in the cottages at the back have the cutest merchandise. There is Celtic Connection and Highland Fling for Irish and Scottish themed merchandise, the Enchanted Cottage for a mix of "enchanting" product including fairy decor, the Tea Boutique for tea and fine china, Breads and Threads for handmade items such as blankets and soap, and Uniquely Yours for all locally made-in-Michigan product ranging from stained glass and jewelry to children's toys.The Christmas store is gorgeous, but don't view Canterbury as a Christmas location. Take the time to walk around in nice weather and see the other shops or eat at the pub.

Little boutiques with all kinds of Christmas articles, gifts, crafts etc along with a couple of larger buildings with loads of things. Walkways with play areas, snow falling, soft lights, great atmosphere to get you in the mood for the holidays.